whaT should you do wiTh your digiTal wasTe?

Living in a digital age doesn’t mean that our waste has also become virtual. According to an oft-quoted UN project, the average UAE resident produces 17.2 kg of electronic waste per year — old mobiles, laptops, televisions, et al. These forgotten items find their way to landfills, affect the surrounding environment, and cause long-term detriment in the quality of the soil, water, and air. Companies like Recycle Emirates, Madenat Al Nokhba, and Ecyclex are playing an important role in not just disposing old hard disks and motherboards, but actively being part of the recycling loop — sifting for valuable raw materials in what’s been discarded. Public-private collaborations are making recycling the norm in our lives. In 2016, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Science Park, Averda, and

Uber came together to collect 64 kilograms of e-waste within four hours from homes with the UberRECYCLE campaign. The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo has partnered with Enviroserve to provide five mobile phone recycling bins at The Dubai Mall. Keep an eye out for these next time you are out shopping.

Enviroserve has signed up with the Dubai government for the construction of a 2,28,000 sq.ft. electronic waste recycling plant at Dubai Industrial Park. At Dh120 million, this is one of the largest foreign direct investments in environmental management in the UAE. The Middle East Waste Management and Recycling Expo is in its 4th year and many such international collaborations are ensuring a green future.